1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a whitening embellisher which inhibits the production of melanin in the epithelia and the like, and more specifically to whitening embellishers suitable for external application and use in a bath.
2) Description of the Related Art
The whiteness and transparency of the skin have traditionally been basic requirements for polished beauty in Japan. In recent years, the development of some excellent materials has brought about common use of cosmetic preparations which directly act on the biosynthetic mechanism of melanin. For example, as compounds having an action to inhibit the activity of an oxidase, tyrosinase which promotes a melanin synthesis from tyrosin through dopachrom, there may be mentioned kojic acid, L-ascorbic acid and derivative thereof, various sulfur compounds, and the like. In addition, as a compound having an action to inhibit the synthesis of tyrosinase, there may be mentioned arbutin.
Common defects of these compounds are that since their actions themselves are mild, a continuous application for about 1 month is required to actually feel their effects, and from the viewpoint of their physical properties, they are highly soluble in water, tend to undergo oxidative decomposition and discoloration, and encounter difficulties upon providing stable preparations.